May I choose the child I sponsor?

All children are precious in the eyes of God and treated equally in accordance with their need as part of the CAUSE Kids program. That said, you may indicate a preference for your sponsored child's gender on the secure on-line sponsorship form. CAUSE Kids matches children with sponsors in the order that they are registered in the program.

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What is the length of commitment for sponsorship?

The length of your commitment is up to you. However, if you must end your sponsorship for any reason, your sponsored child will continue to benefit from community programs and we will find a new sponsor for your sponsored child as quickly as we can. Please keep in mind that sponsorship for less than a year adds additional work and increases the expenses of the program. Short sponsorships also limit your ability to become acquainted with your child.

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How long do children remain sponsored through CAUSE Kids?

All sponsored children remain in the CAUSE Kids program until they are finished high school, although upon graduation they will continue to benefit through our involvement in their community. If a sponsored child's family moves out of the area where CAUSE works, or our goals have been reached and it's agreed that the community has become self-sufficient, the sponsorship may come to an end.

When that happens, you will receive a profile and photograph of a new sponsored child. Building a new relationship may seem a little challenging at first, but our experience is that introducing a new child eases the transition. Most sponsors appreciate the opportunity to touch as many lives as possible. However, if introducing a new sponsored child is unacceptable to you, please call or e-mail us.

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Will I always have the same child?

For a number of reasons it may become necessary to reassign a child. Here are some:

•  The family moves out of the area;
•  The child graduates from high school;
•  The child marries (this is common at a younger age in other cultures);
•  The child dies;
•  The community has become self-sustaining and CAUSE is able to move its resources to another needy community.

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What if my sponsored child dies?

Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that sometimes children die, and sadly this reality is more frequent in the developing world. Accordingly, CAUSE Kids uses its best efforts to support an environment that increases a child's chance to not only survive, but to thrive. However, in the event that your sponsored child dies, you will be notified immediately. While you will be given the opportunity to sponsor another child and bless his or her life with your support, we do understand the relationship that you will have developed with your sponsored child and will certainly honour and support your need to grieve and cease sponsorship if you decide to do so.

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How much does child sponsorship cost?

$35 a month - about a dollar a day - helps build a better future for the child you sponsor, his or her family and community. You can choose to pay automatically through your credit card or pre-authorized withdrawals from your bank account on a monthly basis. Use our on-line sponsorship form to set up your preferred method of contributions.

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Do sponsorship contributions go directly to one child?

Sponsorship contributions are used for programs that benefit not only the sponsored child, but the child's family and community. Nearly 25 years of experience has taught CAUSE Canada that to help a child in a lasting way, we must help the child's family and community become self-sufficient. By improving the facilities and resources in the communities where children live, while also providing those things a child needs for his or her health and education, CAUSE Kids helps give children their best chance of fulfilling their potential.

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How much of my contribution goes towards CAUSE Kids development work overseas?

Over the past 10 years, CAUSE Canada has averaged less than 9% on administration and fundraising costs, with the remainder going towards planning and implementing our overseas program work. While child sponsorship programs have slightly higher administration costs, it is anticipated that CAUSE Kids will average less than 20% on administration and fundraising - which means it will have one of the lowest administration expenditures of all Canadian child development organizations.

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Does CAUSE Kids provide emergency relief?

When sponsored children and their families and communities are affected by a natural disaster, we endeavour to provide emergency assistance. Of course, we notify our sponsors with children in the area in order to update them on the status of their sponsored child. In addition, when emergency assistance is required, we establish special funds to address the situation.

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How will you show me where my money goes and the results of my contribution?

CAUSE Kids and CAUSE Canada have a policy of accountability and openness. We publish an Annual Report containing worldwide consolidated financial statements available at www.cause.ca. We encourage sponsors to visit our programs overseas, to meet the children and their families, visit their communities, and observe the impact of their assistance first-hand. Sponsors receive newsletter updates, project updates and an annual report including our audited financial statements each year. Sponsors also receive annual reports on the progress of their sponsored child and his or her family and community, in addition to letters from the child.

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Is CAUSE Kids a registered charity in Canada?

Yes. CAUSE Kids is a program of CAUSE Canada, an officially registered charitable organization with the Canadian federal government. CAUSE Canada's charitable registration number is 11884 1428 RP.

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Is my yearly contribution eligible for Canadian tax credits?

Yes. Only receipts issued by CAUSE Canada and bearing our business number are valid for Canadian income tax purposes.

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When will I receive my tax receipt?

Tax receipts are issued annually in January for all sponsorship contributions plus any other donations received during the previous calendar year. We issue tax receipts for sponsorship contributions and all donations only once each year to keep our administration costs low. If you move, please update your address with CAUSE Kids so that you receive your tax receipt promptly.

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I'm a member of group sponsoring a child. Can I get an individual tax receipt for my portion of the contribution?

Yes. If group members require individual receipts for income tax purposes, one person within the group must submit a list of names, addresses and amounts contributed by each member by December of each year. This list is to be signed and certified accurate by the person submitting it. We will then issue official receipts to the individual supporters.

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What if I fall behind?

We have made commitments to the field and you have become the key in helping us keep those commitments. Therefore, your regularity and faithfulness is vital. If you should come to a place of difficulty in your sponsorship - please let us know. We understand that at times it may become difficult to make sponsorship payments.

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Can I link to the CAUSE Kids website from my personal, organization or business website? Are there any guidelines for posting information about my sponsored child on the web?

Yes, we welcome links to our website. However, we do require that you observe our linking policy and guidelines for respecting the rights of your sponsored child and his or her family. Contact us to learn more about our policy so that we may approve your request to link to our site.

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